


Fickle Fortune Interludes

by robron_til_the_end



Series: Lights Camera Action [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Family, Happy, M/M, Snapshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-25 09:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10761366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robron_til_the_end/pseuds/robron_til_the_end
Summary: I really wanted to be finished with Fickle Fortune! But right now I need some happy, and I have some ideas for one shots, extra little bits that could fit into the FF universe. Hope this is clear as you read it!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m having some very bad personal problems lately, and with the disaster that I anticipate Robron being on screen in the very near future, I need some fluff and happiness to cheer me up. So this is using my Fickle Fortune universe, nice and happy and I hope someone enjoys it. The idea had quite an enthusiastic response on tumblr.

“No,” Aaron said firmly.

“It’s not…”

“No,” Aaron repeated. On this, he wasn’t budging one inch.

“But…”

“Robert!” Aaron snapped, his patience now wearing thin. “We are not selling baby pictures of our daughter.”

“It’s kind of expected,” Robert started.

“I don’t care,” Aaron said. “I don’t care how many films you’ve been in, I am not extorting Catherine when she’s barely two weeks old.”

Robert sighed and pulled Aaron down to the sofa, seeing the tension in his shoulders. “Relax,” Robert soothed. Aaron didn’t because he wasn’t prepared to let the argument go, Robert wasn’t winning this one.

“I have fans,” Robert started again. “People who want to see her. We can keep her wrapped up in blankets, the magazines just want the happy family shot.”

“Yeah, I remember that you have _fans_ ,” Aaron said darkly. He ran his thumb down Robert’s face gently, making Robert wince. “I remember what obsessed fans can do. I won’t expose her to that before I have to,” Aaron said, shaking his head.

“Not to be thoughtlessly blunt,” Robert said. “But you should have thought about that before you had a baby with me.” Robert looked at Aaron sadly. “It’s a price you have to pay for being famous, and 99% of fans aren’t like Leah. They’re normal and just want to see our family. However perverse you think that is.”

“I just…” Aaron swallowed audibly. “She’s so special and perfect, and I couldn’t bear anyone hurting her.”

“Hey…” Robert soothed, pulling Aaron to him, shifting so they were lying stretched out on the sofa, wrapped up together. He ran his hands over Aaron‘s back, trying to calm him down, feeling the tension his husband carried. Anything hurting Catherine was both of their biggest fears, despite the fact that she hadn’t been in their lives for very long at all yet. “No one will hurt her. We’ve upped security and we’ll _all_ be safe. It won’t happen again, Aaron.” Aaron knew this, they were more than careful these days. Both of them frightened by what had happened to each of them before.

“I don’t get why strangers are interested in her,” Aaron said into Robert’s shoulder. “She’s ours.”

“And she always will be,” Robert replied. “It’d at least stop the speculation that she’s Kat’s baby.”

“What?!” Aaron spluttered, looking up at Robert.

“We named our baby after her,” Robert said, shrugging lightly. “And two men having a child does raise questions.”

“Will you just shut up and stop being so bloody rational!!” Aaron hissed at him. Robert laughed into his ear.

“Stop fighting it,” Robert advised. “Save your energy. I’d rather release the photos we want, than be hounded by the press for a glimpse of her. And remember how it was with you, when we told the press I was in a relationship with a man? It’s not worth it.”

“Maybe,” Aaron agreed, very reluctantly. “I just… I feel so selfish, I want to keep her all to ourselves. I never thought I’d get this. To be a parent and… God, Rob, I love her so much.”

“I know you do,” Robert said. “I do too. Sleepless nights aside.”

“She’s not that bad,” Aaron said.

“No, she isn’t,” Robert agreed.

“I pick the photos,” Aaron said, very nervous about even agreeing in the first place. “And we’re not taking money for them either. It's not like we need it.”

“Okay,” Robert said. “But we pick the photos. Together.”

“All right,” Aaron agreed. “That’s fair.” A little whinge was heard on the baby monitor, and both men looked at the clock. Time for Catherine’s next feed.

“I’ll get her,” Aaron said. “You warm the milk up for her.”

“Hold on.” Robert pulled Aaron into a sweet lingering kiss, lips brushing together, starting a passion they hadn’t quite indulged in since Catherine was born.

“Why start now?” Aaron moaned, as Catherine’s grizzling turned to a full out cry.

“A promise for later tonight,” Robert said with a smirk that still managed to affect Aaron, even a few years after he’d met Robert. Aaron pushed down his desire and went to fetch his crying daughter, still not over the wonderful novelty of having a child to spoil. By the time he got back to the kitchen with their daughter, Catherine was sucking on Aaron’s thumb, in desperate search of milk, and starting to make more noise when it became clear nothing was happening.

“There you go,” Robert said, handing Aaron the bottle. Aaron smiled as he fed her, and Robert felt a brief moment of jealousy. Because that smile was soft and perfect, and completely in love with their daughter. Aaron had never looked at Robert like that, almost with adoration, total unconditional love. Probably never would either. But while Catherine was happily feeding, Aaron did look at Robert and his lips twitched. It was a look of happiness and contentment, like all Aaron wanted, he had right in front of him. And that Robert thought, pressing a brief kiss to Aaron’s waiting mouth, made himself happier than he ever thought he had a right to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for such a positive reaction to the last chapter, I'm so happy that so many of you are still reading and enjoying this universe! Hope this one is enjoyed as well! Special note and thanks go to smittenwithsugden, as the interview idea was entirely hers, and I should be sharing an author credit with her for this chapter....

They picked three photos to release to the press, the first, and main shot in the interview was of Robert cradling Catherine against his chest, his broad hands almost swamping the baby, her face the only thing visible, peering up at her dad with beautiful blue eyes, Robert smiling down at her. Aaron’s favourite image was the smallest shot in the magazine spread. Robert was stretched out on the sofa, Aaron lying against him, holding their daughter. Robert had an arm wrapped around both his husband and his child, clearly very happy. Aaron had been dozy in that shot, almost asleep with a soft smile on his face and Catherine was looking over Aaron’s shoulder at Robert. It was an image that Robert had felt too personal to share, surprisingly it had been Aaron who wanted to publish that one. Because he felt all three of them looked so happy in that photo. The third image was Catherine in a beautiful red dress that Kat had bought her, Aaron’s hands holding her. She was about three months old now, Aaron having put it off for as long as he feasibly could. It had a small interview accompanying it in the magazine spread.

Interviewer, Mary Hickson: So, Robert, it’s been a while since you’ve given an interview.

RS: I’ve been a bit busy lately. Life gets hectic with a new baby in the house!

MH: Of course. How’s fatherhood suiting you both?

RS: We love it. We both feel so lucky to have her and she‘s a good baby.

MH: Is it true that you named your daughter after your best friend Kat? (Catherine DuJardin, model and actress)

RS: Yes, that’s true. It’s entirely Kat’s fault that we ever got married in the first place.

AD: I wouldn’t say it’s all her fault. Though she does have a habit of banging our stubborn heads together every once in a while.

MH: Can I say how wonderful it is to talk to you Aaron. You rarely give interviews to the press.

AD: Robert’s the one who’s good at talking about himself! But I thought for my daughter I’d make an exception.

MH: And how’s fatherhood treating you Aaron? Which one of you does the midnight feeding?

Both men laugh. RS: I do. Nothing can wake Aaron when he’s fast asleep.

AD: I look after her while Robert’s off for work commitments. It all equals out in the end.

MH: Any help while you’re both busy? Childcare?

RS: No, she stays with us. Though both her grandmothers are completely smitten with her.

AD: Yeah, my mum can’t stay away from the house these days!

MH: In the world of Hollywood where people break up and make up so frequently, you two have been together for quite a while now. What do you think makes your relationship work?

AD: Because I don’t let him get away with anything!

RS: It works because we love each other. I know I’m lucky to have found him.

MH: One last question, thinking of any more children?

RS: We’ve barely got used to one yet! I think it’ll be some time with just the three of us yet.

AD: Yeah. Catherine’s enough of a handful as it is!

Robert Sugden’s film White Heat hits cinema’s on the twelfth of October.

* * *

 

“That’s a ridiculous interview,” Aaron said, casting the magazine aside, where it skidded on the kitchen table.

“I know,” Robert said. “But it had to be done, and I am very grateful you didn’t punch the journalist when she started asking about our sex life.”

“Mm, notice that didn’t make it to print,” Aaron grumbled. “Honestly what business is it of hers what we like in bed!”

“She was pushing you because you don’t do the media circus often,” Robert said.

“Well that’s hardly encouraging me to change my mind,” Aaron muttered. He had been highly uncomfortable throughout the entire interview, only his feelings for Robert had stopped him from walking out. Robert had pointed out that a print interview would be miles better than a TV one, which Robert had been invited to appear on several times in the last few weeks. At least this way, things could be edited out. 

“Thank you,” Robert said sincerely. “If I don’t have fans, people prepared to pay to see my films, I won’t have a career for long. I have to give them something.”

“I know,” Aaron said softly. Both his hands reached for Robert’s face, and Robert stiffened, knowing what he was thinking. Aaron’s thumb stroked the scar down his cheek. “I don’t know how you do it, though. After what the last fan you encountered did to you.”

“It was a one off,” Robert said. “You know that. Do you hate the way it looks?”

Robert never asks, and certainly not as bluntly as that. He usually implies it when he’s feeling a bit self conscious. “No, I don’t hate it,” Aaron said. “I’m not going to lie, I liked your face before. Something besides your smug attitude grabbed my attention in the first place.” Robert rolled his eyes. “I still want you. I still think you’re gorgeous. I still sometimes look at you and think, God I want you so much and….” Robert kissed him deeply, tongue tasting Aaron before he could so much as blink.

“What’re you waiting for then?” Robert breathed. Catherine was with Chas, they had no one in the house and they could be as loud as they liked. Aaron’s eyes darkened with lust as Robert perched on the edge of the kitchen table.

“You read my mind,” Aaron agreed, pressing him flat against the wood grain, smiling into a kiss.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Daddy, what’s wrong with your face?” Robert caught Aaron’s eye, but he didn’t say anything, not knowing quite how to confront this. Catherine had never asked before.

“Um… your dad got into an accident, before you were born,” Aaron said when Robert seemed lost for words. Catherine frowned at both men like that didn’t seem right at all.

“No, there!” Catherine said, pointing. They both followed her arm, seeing Catherine pointing at a photo on the mantelpiece. Aaron picked up the framed shot from their wedding day, before it had all gone wrong, and handed it to Robert, who kept Catherine tucked up tightly in his arms. “Your face is all… the same,” Catherine said, struggling for words.

“I think she means symmetrical,” Aaron said.

“It’s all wrong!” Catherine announced.

“I used to look like that all the time,” Robert said, watching Catherine’s eyes widen and unable to stop from laughing. “When I married your dad, I got in a bit of a mess,” Robert said. “You know how we’re always telling you to be careful with scissors?”

“They’re sharp!” Catherine said.

“Yes,” Robert agreed. “I wasn’t careful, and this…” he ran his finger down the scar on his cheek. “Happened because I got in the way of something very sharp.”

“Oh,” Catherine said, frowning at that. “But that’s your face, you’ve always looked like that.” Clearly Catherine couldn’t understand the concept that they might have been around before she was born. Robert smiled at her and gave her a hug.

“I love you,” Robert said warmly. Catherine gave a dazzling smile before jumping off the sofa to play with her toy box.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Robert said. “I um… a plastic surgeon’s got into contact with me. “They think they can fix my face. Or… reduce the scarring quite a lot, if I want to go ahead.”

“And you’re telling me this now?” Aaron asked. “How long’ve you been keeping that to yourself?”

“About a week,” Robert said. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I’ve not made a decision. What do you think?”

“Well…” Aaron said slowly. “It’s not my face, it’s not my choice.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one who has to look at me,” Robert said. “It matters to me that you like what you see.”

“Robert…” Aaron said quietly, more moved by that than he‘d admit. “I’m not making the decision for you.” Robert sighed, leaning against the sofa and watching Catherine play. “To the people who love you, you should know it doesn’t matter.”

“I do,” Robert said, meaning it. “I do know that.” But he didn’t seem happy or content so Aaron continued.

“Robert,” Aaron said. “I know you think it’s a flaw of yours, but I’ve got much bigger issues with you.”

“Such as?” Robert couldn’t resist asking.

“Big headed, arrogant. Self important, overly confident…”

“God, why did you ever marry me?” Robert asked.

“Loving, gorgeous, you make me laugh. You’re a good father,” Aaron said, changing tactics. “You’re mine,” he added in a voice so quiet Robert could barely hear it. Robert smiled at him softly. “How would you feel if I could click my fingers and get rid of my self harm scars?” Robert thought about it, but it couldn’t compute. He’d never known Aaron without those marks, so to think of his body without them… well, it wouldn’t quite be Aaron, would it?

“I can’t imagine that,” Robert admitted. “It’s you.”

“I know it bothers you sometimes,” Aaron said, knowing Robert’s vain streak was there, and some days were worse than others, even a few years on. “But it doesn’t matter to me. I don’t see _that woman_ when I look at you. I see the man who cried when our daughter was born.” Aaron closed the gap between them and curled up with Robert on the sofa.

“I love you,” Robert said. Aaron kissed the spot where his jaw met neck and Robert shivered. Before either man could say anything else, Aaron groaned, a Catherine shaped weight having jumped onto the small of his back, making his spine throb.

“I'm too old for that!” Aaron said while Catherine giggled, looking at both men through blue eyes. Robert rearranged the three of them until Catherine was comfortable caught between both men, being cuddled happily. Catherine reached up and ran her fingers over Robert’s scar, Robert staying perfectly still as she did it. She had a perfect innocence about it when she said, “feels bumpy.”

“Does it?” Robert asked. “Good or bad?”

“It’s just daddy,” she said with a shrug, like it was nothing.

“I’ll leave it,” Robert said to Aaron. “You might have to remind me now and again, because… it’s not always easy looking in the mirror.”

“I’ll remind you,” Aaron promised, kissing him chastely because of Catherine’s closeness. The doorbell rang, interrupting their private moment. “That’ll be Kat,” Aaron said as Catherine rushed to answer it. 

“Oh, am I interrupting?” Kat said, seeing the men curled up together.

“No,” Robert said, getting up and giving his oldest friend a hug. It had been a while since they’d seen her.


	4. Chapter 4

Aaron walked into Catherine’s room, seeing her lying on her bed, frowning over her school books. Their little girl was now a teenager and Aaron had no idea where the last ten years had gone. It was almost like he’d blinked, and his happy carefree laughing four year old had changed into a fourteen year old, struggling over chemistry text books.

“Want to go out for dinner?” Aaron suggested. Catherine looked up at him and dropped her books closed, a tired smile on her face.

“Sushi?” she suggested.

“You and your father with your Japanese food,” Aaron said with warmth, shaking his head. “If you want.”

“Dad?” she asked quietly, sitting up on the bed. “I’m not yours, am I?” Catherine said. “I mean… technically.” Aaron thought very quickly, this subject never having come up before and he sat next to Catherine on the bed.

“No,” Aaron said, keeping a purposefully level voice. “Not genetically. But you are my daughter.”

“Yeah,” she said, sounding both disappointed and massively unconvinced. Aaron wrapped an arm around her tightly.

“When we were looking into options to start our family, we… didn’t want to know who was your biological father. It was a fifty fifty chance, and Robert got lucky. He’s always been the lucky one out of the two of us.” Catherine didn’t smile at the joke. “And I... well, I got really lucky, because we got you. And I wouldn’t change you for anything.”

“Not even when I cut auntie Kat’s hair?” Catherine asked.

“She might not have been too happy about that,” Aaron said with a grin. “She made it work, everyone was copying her at Paris fashion week.” Catherine giggled, tucking herself into Aaron’s arms. They didn’t know officially, had always wanted to not know. But as Catherine had grown, she became tall, very blonde, pale and freckled, and her face was almost a mirror of Robert’s. It hadn’t taken much to realise she was Robert’s child. “You’re my daughter, don’t let biology make you doubt that.”

“What if…”

“Go on,” Aaron pushed, letting her go and looking at her face.

“Say… you did have a child that was genetically yours.”

“Unlikely,” Aaron muttered.

“Humour me,” she said. “What if you found out you did have a child somewhere and.. then there’s me.”

“Genetics doesn’t matter,” Aaron said. “I hated my father, for good reasons before he died. I’d never known him in my adult life, just because we shared DNA didn’t mean much.”

“Okay,” Catherine said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling at him and nodding. “I mean… I knew I couldn’t be both of yours, so…” Aaron kissed the top of her hair and Catherine wiggled away, smoothing her blonde locks down, which meant she wasn’t that upset. “Why am I an only child?”

“Wow, you’re really getting into the deep questions tonight, aren’t you?”

“Sorry,” she said, though she still looked like she was waiting.

“We talked about having more children,” Aaron said. “But… the surrogate we had for you, didn’t want to do it again. And things got… complicated when we tried to find someone else. Things happened. Which I’m not going into and… after, we decided we‘d stick with one. Too much time had passed, and there‘d have been a big age gap between you and another one, which we didn’t want.”

“What happened?” Catherine asked eagerly.

“Nosey,” Aaron said, nudging her. Catherine laughed. “You wanted sushi.”

“Oh, yes,” Catherine said, allowing herself to be distracted, grabbing her purse and checking her hair in the mirror. When did his daughter grow up so much?

“I’ll get Robert off the phone.”

“Who’s he talking to?” Catherine asked. Aaron simply looked at her. “Kat.” Both of them laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad whenever I don’t manage to get something written, so here’s something light.

Catherine stopped fiddling with her hair and looked in the mirror, trying to be critical. She didn’t think she looked too bad, but she couldn’t deny she was nervous. There was a knock on her bedroom door, and she smiled as Robert poked his head around, already suited and ready to go. “The limo’s pulled up, are you ready?”

“Yeah,” Catherine said, getting up. “Do I look okay?”

Robert looked at his daughter, looking so grown up that Robert could barely imagine how she was his baby. “Which version of your father do you want?” Robert asked. “Your dress is too revealing and you’re wearing too much make up? Or you’ll easily be the most beautiful woman there?”

“Somewhere in the middle,” she said with a shrug she’d definitely picked up from Aaron.

“You look perfect,” Robert said sincerely. She wore a silver dress, her hair curling over her shoulders and Robert couldn’t believe this was his daughter. She looked grown. Her own person. “But you don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Robert reminded her.

“I do want to,” Catherine said, making sure her heels were in place, and that she could walk in them properly. “It’s taken me this long to get an invitation to one of your premiers, I’m not missing it! Besides, dad wouldn’t go if I backed out. That _woman_ will be there.” That woman being Rebecca White, who was now on husband number three. She would be at the premier, because her husband had been Robert’s co star in this particular project. That did not make Aaron particularly keen to go. Or Robert for that matter.

“He would if I asked him to,” Robert said surely. “You can change your mind, I know the press is a lot.”

“Well,” Catherine said, picking up her clutch. “If I wanted to avoid the press I needed to pick a different father.” Robert inclined his head at the truth of that, though there was little he could do about it.

“I have something for you,” Robert said. “Wait here.” She did, bewildered until Robert returned to her bedroom, jewellery box in hand. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to give you this. It belonged to my mother, and you can hate it if you want…” Robert opened the box to reveal a necklace, just a simple silver chain. “It’s not valuable, I just thought…”

“Don’t get all embarrassed,” Catherine said with a grin. “I love it. How come Vic doesn’t have it?”

“She did get most of mums jewellery,” Robert said. “But I liked this one and… you don’t have to have it.” But Catherine had turned around. 

“Can you…” Catherine asked, lifting her hair so Robert could fasten the clip of the necklace. “There.” Robert smiled at her, a look filled with warmth and devotion to his daughter. “I’m ready,” she said. Both of them left the house, calling to Aaron in goodbye, who only grunted in reply, though he smiled at Catherine. She had grown up so fast.

“What is dad doing tonight?” Catherine asked as she slipped into the back seat of the limo, Robert sliding in next to her before nodding to the driver to leave.

“Glued to the rugby match,” Robert said. “Apparently England have to win and…” Robert sighed. “I forget the rest.”

“Right,” Catherine said slowly. “Nothing to do with a couple of dozen fit men in tight shorts is it?” Robert gaped at her, unable to believe the nerve of her for saying that.

“I can still ground you, you know,” Robert said forcefully, making Catherine laugh. She leaned her head on his shoulder as the car drove off, towards the premier.


End file.
